In most cases this is a no brainier. All you
need to do is call your insurance agent and ask what procedure they want you to
follow. They will either ask you to bring the vehicle by one of their estimate
centers so an adjuster can look over the damage, or if your vehicle is not
drivable they will send out an adjuster to look over the vehicle and write up an
estimate on the damages.
Then again, some insurance companies may ask you to get
2 to 3 written estimates on your vehicle from your choice of body shops. Bottom
line here is this you will follow whatever procedure your particular insurance
carrier wants you to follow.
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The
answer to this question is usually 2 to 3. It really depends on your insurance
carrier. Some insurance adjusters will go to the vehicle. Some will ask you to
drive your vehicle into one of their claim centers so they can inspect it there.
Still others will ask you to gather 3 estimates to get a good sense of the
extent of damage to your vehicle. 99% of all auto body shops offer free repair
estimates, so getting an estimate for your vehicle is quite simple. If you are
asked to get the estimates, we suggested that you take let say your Ford to a
Ford dealership body shop and request of them to quote original Ford replacement
parts. Now go to the most expensive body shop and ask them to quote you the same
way Ford did. Why? Because you want the best possible repair work performed on
your vehicle to retain its present day value and to make sure the insurance
check covers all the expenses.
Simply put, the answer to this question is
99.9% always yes! There is however that .1%, it really depends on the laws in
your state and your insurance policy.
This is a quite common situation, it happens
all the time. The body shop will call your adjuster to come out and see the
hidden damage found. If the adjuster agrees that this damage was caused by this
accident, it will be covered by your insurance company.
Yes you can! You need to ask the body shop
estimator to quote genuine (your auto parts manufacturer) when they are figuring
your estimate. In other words, if you have a Chevy, you need to ask for genuine
Chevy parts to be used to repair your vehicle. Another way to get genuine
replacement parts is to take your Chevy to a Chevy Dealer repair shop and ask
for genuine Chevy replacement body parts. If you don't care what kind of body
parts are put on your vehicle, then you will receive generic auto parts which
are good enough in most cases.
In most cases you don't own the vehicle, you
and a lending institution own the vehicle. When a vehicle is co-owned and the
repair work is less than the value of the vehicle, you must repair the damages.
If you own the vehicle out right and you wreck your vehicle, you can do whatever
you want with the check. If the damage to the vehicle is greater than the
present day value of your wrecked vehicle, your adjuster will total your vehicle
and cut you a check for the present day value of your vehicle.
When a vehicle gets totaled, it means the value
of your vehicle is less than the cost to repair it. This can happen to any age
of vehicle. Repair work has a present day value, your vehicle has a present day
value, when the repair cost are greater than the current value of your auto,
then your insurance adjuster writes off the vehicle and totals it.
Example: Lets say that a 1999 Chevy has a present day value of $15,000.00 and
the cost to repair it is $17,000.00. Your insurance adjuster is not going to
authorize the repair work on this vehicle. Why? Because the insurance industry
is in business to make money. They are not going to put more money into a
wrecked vehicle than it is worth to repair.
This probably happens more often than you
think. What you do next depends on the institution that holds the title to your
vehicle and your relationship with them. You have two options here, one, pay off
the difference and then apply for another vehicle loan, or roll the dollar
difference into your next vehicle purchase.
Yes you do! However you need to have kept great
records on your vehicle, like maintenance records, pictures of your vehicle, any
up-grades like wheels, trim work, tape decks, speakers, etc .... When speaking
to your adjuster you will need to convey to them why your 1996 Dodge truck is
worth more than the average 1996 Dodge truck. The key here is good record
keeping. Everything you do to up-grade your vehicle adds value, fight for it.
The industry uses one of these two sources, the
Kelley Blue Book or the NADA. Both of these booklets are printed each
quarter. Inside these booklets you will find every make and model of every
vehicle made. To find the present day value of your vehicle go to the
Link Zone
